This is Our Secret
by z dream
Summary: Watch out Cahills. We are not alone. We are not to be underestimated. Read if you dare; a story meant to keep out of...the faint-hearted's sight. The Cahill's have something new to fear.
1. Chapter 1

10/3/10

"Yes, I followed the Cahills through the Gauntlet," he said into his cell phone.

"Good, good," a female voice purred from the other end. "What can you report?"

"The Janus broke several bones, the youngest Lucian was shot in the foot, and the oldest Lucian came out unconscious. None were killed."

"Have they come together?"

"Yes." A silence hung in the air as she was digesting the information.

"We still have to observe. Understand strengths, weaknesses, loyalties, and grudges, slowly and gradually. Then we'll solve each…setback, one by one."

"Yes, Madam Karisa," Jack replied. They both hung up simultaneously. The plan was officially in action.


	2. Chapter 2 Janus

**Im sorry for not updating. But i redid the chapters and made the story like 7 times better-at least i believe so : ) **

Jonah Wizard was in the private wing of the hospital, and the staff was sworn to secrecy not to let 'Jonah's in the building' slip. But even so, the press managed to find out where he was. Entertainment tonight already claimed to have the full scoop on it. But Jonah wasn't concerned about any of that at the moment. He and his father, Broderick Wizard, were about to settle on what story they were planning to tell Cora Wizard.

"So, I guess we tell her that Isabel sealed it off by making a fatal 'typical Lucian' mistake and…?" Jonah looked to his father to provide the right words.

"And-the serum was trapped inside and the walls were caving in. And everyone ran off from the island," his father provided.

"Yes! Perfect!" Jonah praised. Then, he and his father started to laugh. They both pictured Cora Wizard, white-faced, at the thought of the ever-precious serum being lost. It became even funnier when they thought of it as them out-witting her.

When the laughter died, and nothing but faint screams from fans was heard, the moment of truth approached.

There was a knock on the door.

Cora Wizard, Jonah's mother, did not wait for a reply. She came in briskly. Jonah and Broderick straightened, getting ready to convincingly tell their story, but froze when they saw that someone was behind Cora Wizard. Someone that apparently had Cora Wizard, one of the most amazing actors of her generation, unable to hide her anxiousness.

"Jonah, oh darling, are you feeling better?" she said throwing her arms around her son. But when she was close enough, she squeezed harder for a second and whispered…almost longingly, "Don't disappoint me."

The tall, gray-haired man that walked behind Cora through the door took a seat and gazed slowly around the room. His steel-gray eyes locked onto Jonah, "Strange isn't it? How an international super star, such as yourself, would choose to stay at a hospital."

"We thought it would have been safer, less noticeable, if Jonah just went to a hospital," Broderick said. It was the truth, but the man made no acknowledgment that Broderick spoke. The man seemed too deep in thought. It was as if his question was merely a courtesy.

"So tell me Jonah, what do you know about Janus history?" the not-so-welcomed guest asked.

Jonah took one quick glance at his mother, who now put on a nonchalant mask, and replied "Plenty."

"Hm. Do you know of Jane Cahill's lover?" he asked now leaning back and putting his feet up on a small coffee table.

"Jane's lover?"

"Yes."

"Uh, n-no. I'm not familiar with him." The man tilted his head.

"David Jones. His name was David Jones. And he had a secret that would rival even the Cahill Master Serum."


	3. Chapter 3 Madrigal

Nellie Gomez was on the site of Grace Cahill's house accompanied with Amy Cahill. It was a brisk October day, perfect for rummaging through the ruins of what was Grace's mansion.

"Are you sure Dan said he wasn't coming?" Nellie said loudly as she and Saladin were walking all the way to Amy. Dan almost never missed an opportunity to go scavenging around the ruins of Grace's mansion-he always found something to add to his collection.

"Yeah, Dan said he wanted to visit some places and check out some stuff at stores," Amy answered walking over to where Grace's foyer would've been. Back when the ruble were the walls of an elegant home and Grace was still alive, she and him would sometimes race up the hill and storm into the entry way and their grandmother would be waiting there with open arms.

"I thought the weekend would never come," she used to say.

"And you trust him?" Nellie asked incredulously pulling Amy out of her reminiscence.

"I only gave him 20 bucks."

"Oh, okay then. That makes sense." And the girls gave short-lived laughs, until they fell into a silence. They searched for a while longer through the ash, finding nothing but pieces of stone- Dan was the only one who really had a true talent for scavenging, really. The sun was starting to set. Nellie spoke. "I think it's time to go home."

Amy nodded, picked up Saladin, and both she and Nellie headed back to the car to go home.

Little did they know, every step was being watched.

When they got off the bus to their apartment building, Dan was already walking down the street. He was struggling to carry a moderately sized, but heavy, package.

"What _are_ you carrying?" Amy asked while Nellie was opening the front door.

"An awesome statue!" then, in a softer voice, he added, "just like the one Grace had at her house. I thought this place couldn't be called home without it." Amy smiled at her brother; he always knew just what was needed.

As they were getting off the elevator onto the third floor, someone came up from the left corridor and bumped into Nellie, scattering papers everywhere.

"Sorry," Nellie said, picking up the papers he dropped.

"It's alright," he said gathering the papers himself. When they were both upright Nellie finally got a good look at him. Her cheeks turned bright red.

"Sorry, again," he said taking the papers Nellie held out.

"It's okay…uh," she replied looking for words to prolong the conversation with the cutely black haired, dark brown eyed stranger. "I'm Nellie. Nellie Gomez," she held out her hand, "I just moved here."

"Jack. Jack Fiore," he said shaking her hand. From behind her, Dan groaned, but Amy ignored him and continued to watch the amusing scene. Nellie flirting wasn't new-she was smitten with someone on a regular basis-but Amy still thought it made for nice entertainment. "So, you're the one that moved to apartment 3B?" he asked not taking his eyes off Nellie. She nodded. They briefly talked until his phone starting ringing. "Sorry, got to go. See you around?"

"Definitely," she answered as she watched him flash one last brilliant smile before the elevator doors closed. When he was gone, Amy burst out laughing.

"Oh, shut up," Nellie mumbled, blushing furiously.

* * *

In the elevator, Jack answered his call.

"Madam Karisa, their location has been confirmed."


	4. Chapter 4 Ekaterina

Alistair Oh was in his study back in his home in Korea. It had only been a few days since the discovery of the last clue. _And yet it feels like a new lifetime, _he thought. As Alistair was finishing up his search of patients for more recent inventions- most of which he was making plans to modify- Ned knocked on the door.

"Dinner is ready, Uncle," he said.

"I'll be done in a minute then." Ned nodded and left the room. Alistair smiled to himself. The Starling Triplets were staying with Alistair since their parents were on yet another research trip.

Not much was ever really known about the Starlings' parents…except to Alistair-a fellow Ekat. They were obsessed with their research; so much so that their children adapted to a sort of forced independence. For them, the Ekat strongholds were second homes.

_But…perhaps staying with me for a while wouldn't be so bad for them would it? _Alistair thought. He turned off his laptop and began walking towards the door when some sort of projectile was thrown through the window. In an instant, green gas filled the room and, just before everything went black, he felt a pair of gloved hands cover his mouth.

Downstairs, the Starling Triplets waited…and waited and waited. After a while, they got anxious.

"Are you sure he was alright?" Ted asked Ned. Annoyed, Ned rolled his eye and tried to keep the worry out of his voice.

"Come on, my headaches only occur at one in the afternoon once a week. He seemed like he was perfectly fine." When the two boys reached the top, they found Sinead rooted to her spot in the doorway of the second door to the right-Alistair's study.

"What happened?" Ned asked.

"What? Tell us. And…make sure to describe it well," Ted added. His treatment was a bit slow and he was only able to make out blurs now. But 20/20 vision wouldn't have changed the scene or the facts.

"He's gone," Sinead breathed, while her tear hit the floor.


	5. Chapter 5 Lucian

Vikram Kabra was not happy. And bad things happened when Vikram Kabra was not happy. Since that idiot son and daughter of his turned soft and his wife was jailed, he had retreated to one of the few private Lucian strongholds he and Isabel had reserved for themselves- a small underground dwelling in Rio, Brazil.

_We could have taken care of it a bit more_, he thought looking around at the elegant furniture around him. It was tastefully chosen and had a very high price tag, but maids probably came around there for cleaning only once every few months. The evidence was everywhere from the dust that sat on every wooden and glass surface. Vikram would sooner die that pick up a duster. A knock came from the door, Vikram brushed his hand across his suit-as if there were a single wrinkle in it-and stood. He pushed the button under the end table next to him that unlocked the door.

"Come in," he said. The door opened revealing a plain looking woman on the other side. With a sculpted face, ice blue eyes, and shiny black hair that was in a fashionably short cut, you think she would be a little pretty. But perhaps it was the paper white, almost grayish, skin that had barely ever seen sunlight or the coldness of the ice blue eyes or the thin line that appeared to be painted on her face where her lips should've been that diminished any beauty she would've had. "Madam Karisa, it is a pleasure to see you again."

"Enough small talk," Karisa snapped. "Tell me why you have called me here." She stayed in the doorway, not bothering to step inside the room. She would leave as soon as she received whatever information the Lucian had to offer. Vikram retrieved a small envelop from inside his jacket and held it up for the pale woman to see.

With a sly smile, he said, "I know Demetrius' secret." Madam Karisa tensed ever so slightly.

"I am listening."


	6. Chapter 6 The Serum's Rival

**Janus**

"What could rival the Cahill Master Serum?" snapped Cora Wizard.

"It is classified information-" began the man, before he was interrupted by Cora.

"I am the _leader _of the Janus branch. What could be so classified that I wouldn't have access to it?"

"Cora. It is not merely a question of rank," the man stated. He made it clear that the matter was settled.

"Yes, Mr. Alexander," she said through grinding teeth.

"Good. Now Jonah, you have been chosen for the task ahead."

"W-why me?" Jonah asked utterly confused. He assumed it was quite evident he failed the hunt for the 39 Clues, so why give him another job.

"It might become evident when you choose to accept." Mr. Alexander said it so surely, anyone would believe it was true (even Jonah felt he did). Mr. Alexander reached into his jacket, pulling out a few papers. He unfolded them and held them out towards Jonah.

"These should explain a few things." Jonah took the paper and started to read the inky script on the aged paper.

_ Dear Jane,_

_ I miss you, much more than I can say. I cannot bare to stay away longer. The Mistress sails well, but that may just be due to such mild conditions. Which is what arouses my fears, a storm will approach. I can sense it, dear Jane. But, do not worry for me. Never forget, I am a veteran of many stormy battles between sea and ship._

_I hope you find what you are searching for in Italy. Here on the Atlantic, there has not been much but subtle signs and encouragement from intuition. These waters are beautiful and the skies are even more so. Perhaps, when this is all over, you shall sail with me on these waters. My crew mates are all greedy and dishonorable. But they were crazy enough to go forth on this expedition. Can you believe that that is how far their greed extends?_

_ I want to ask how your hunt fairs, but I can't yet face this truth. You have gone to find your treasure, and I mine. How harshly we have been separated. But promise to me, as I do to you, that we will meet where the stars have rained from the heavens and rejoiced, when our missions are complete. I hope your path has been smoother than mine. I think of you every night._

_Yours truly,_

_David Jones_

"This guy was head over heels for Jane, wasn't he?" Jonah asked. He was surprised when Mr. Alexander's eyes softened for just a moment, before turning hard again.

"You could say that, yes. Read the next one." Jonah shuffled to the next letter.

_Dear David,_

_ You coming home safe is all I need right now. My foolish siblings know nothing of the world's treasure and beauty. We'll see each other one day soon. And I will uphold your promise as long as I live and love. While my family fades away, we strengthen in hope. And while their desperation for the Serum grows, we know we have the one ally they don't: time. You will accomplish your mission. And I can be this sure, because I know you. You'd search forever if you could. Good luck, my love. _

_ Yours for eternity,_

_ Jane C._

"_Why have I never seen this?" _thought Cora Wizard bitterly as she read the letter from over her son's shoulder. Broderick put a hand on Cora's arm, as if sensing her distress. Strangely, she relaxed, yet not remembering why. Glancing at Mr. Alexander, she backed away while her son reread the letter, his eyes wide. The room held a tense atmosphere, broken only when Jonah tore his eyes off the paper in his hand.

"The words that are underlined, they say 'We'll live forever.' What does that mean?" Jonah asked, knowing that Cahills never did anything without putting a clue in.

"As…improbable as it sounds, David Jones was searching for the Fountain of Youth. He had maps, graphs, you name it! He didn't find it, but _we _continue his search. Jane saw him worthy enough, so why shouldn't we? We want you to find the Fountain of Youth." The silence practically echoed in the room. "Thi-This is insane, yo, I don't-" Jonah breathed. He licked his dry lips. This was overwhelming. The memory of when he was in Venice appeared in his mind; he was as unsure now as he was then. He was chosen to find some Fountain of Youth that he doubted even existed. And- "How come no one's found this Fountain of Youth? Why me?" he blurted out.

"Do you accept?" Mr. Alexander asked sternly.

* * *

Insane.

This was all _insane. _

And yet there Jonah was, packing his bags to go off on another hunt. But the prize of this hunt seemed more of a legend than-than...well, the Cahill family itself. Jonah had believed the story of a guy whose name he didn't even know. Why did he believe him?

"Because I'm hoping its true," Jonas thought to himself. He stopped packing for a moment and sat down on the edge of his bed. With his head in his hands, he let the momentum of that realization sink in.

People say your real fame begins after you die. Why is that? Your not there to produce more, to create more of your work. That makes it rare. Rare makes it expensive. Expensive makes it famous. Simple, right? But it's more than that. Your work out-lives you. Sometimes genius takes time to be realized as what it is. But what if Jonas lived to see that? What if he never had to watch his name fade away?

"It never would," Jonas mused. "I wouldn't let it. To the Janus, I wouldn't be the kid who lost the clues, I'd be Jonah: the hero who gave the family immortality."

Visions of adoring crowds morphed into adoring crowds in futuristic clothing which morphed into adoring crowds in the Janus stronghold. All these faded away as the face of his mother, her face beaming in pride, surfaced in his mind's eye.

Whoa, wait. Who was he kidding? He couldn't even win the clue hunt alone-Wait! He didn't have to face this alone.

He still had Amy and Dan's number...


	7. Chapter 7 No Mistakes

**if you want to vent about anything in this chapter, feel free to blame my computer which DELETED most of what i had originally written (this poor fanfiction just can't catch a break) but i hope the wait was worth it (and yes, the first quarter of this is a modified/extended version of what was originally written) And please forgive the one curse word in the end. **

* * *

**Ekaterina:**

It was dim, so Alistair couldn't see his surroundings beyond the singular light bulb hanging in front of him in that cliché movie-styled fashion. His hands were bound behind his back to a very uncomfortable wooden chair, which he probably would've been able to escape from had it not been for his rather distracting, empty stomach. The time was passed by running scenarios through his head. Maybe when they came to deliver his food, they would untie his hands…well, if they delivered food. They could just leave him here if they wanted him dead. But who could possibly want him dead...Bae! Why, if Alistair found out that it was him who was behind this he would—

"Alistair," a male voice came out of the surrounding darkness. "Do you know why you're here?" Alistair refused to speak, for perhaps his voice would betray him and reveal the quiver of fear he felt in the pit of his stomach—fear that he assured himself probably rose from being low on sustenance. He shook his head. "I would prefer that you answer with words," the man said stepping closer to the light.

"No, I do not see any reason why I should be here," Alistair stated, relieved that his voice remained steady. But he was unsure whether or not he should be relieved that the man in front of him was young—of age to be a junior in college—and seemed well-built. There was a very little chance Alistair could beat him in combat, but since the man was young, perhaps he could outsmart him.

"Simple," the man said, with no trace of emotion. "You tell us everything you know about Demetrius, and we let you live." Alistair's stiffened, his thoughts of escape gone as soon as the utterly unanticipated demand was put forth. But Alistair said nothing. He couldn't tell them the truth, and he certainly wasn't going to test the sincerity of that death threat. As he was about to open his mouth to feed his deceitful lies, the man held up a finger in warning. "I wouldn't lie if I were you," he said ominously.

_ A device, a chip of some sort, _Alistair thought. _They must have put some miniscule lie detector on me. _Taking a deep breath, he braced himself to say what he would be unable to take back.

"Demetrius meet her while she was on her journey to Cairo," the old Korean began wearily, "and was determined to win her heart. We Ekats can only guess when he fell in love with her, but that by the time Katherine was in Egypt, he had the intention to marry her. He was originally just supposed to be her escort from Macedonia to Egypt, but he wanted to be more. She was in fervent pursuit of the clues, and scoffed at the notion of being courted, at that time. But as I said, he was determined. So he insisted on becoming he partner, in research and helping to find clues. She agreed only because she was sure that he would soon be scared off, but it was not so. He knew the best way to win her heart was to prove himself-to show that he was her intellectual equal...many Ekats thought he did so by finding a few of the clues-which he did-but they should've known it would take much more to win Katerina's love..."

* * *

_He would never get used to the desert air-its weight, its driness, the heat it held, even at night. But he would endure it all to see the gleam of victory in her eyes, her smile, and her triumphant laugh. Whenever she found a clue, it was as if the flame that burned inside her became more intense. Perhaps tonight would be one of those nights._

_"Demetri," she called, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Move faster! We are close! I can feel it..." He strode foreward, struggling against the sand. When he finally caught up to her, he found her digging vigorously. Putting down his pack, he retrieved his own shovel, and started to dig. With both their efforts, it didn't take long to dig deep, and, more importantly, find the stone. "Yes! That woman wasn't conning us after all!" Demetri sighed, but smiled despite the sweat that glossed his brow. Retriving a canteen from his pack, and chugging the reviving water. "Thank you, Demetri. Without you, it would've taken me ages to shovel through." Katerina's thankful expression turned hard when she saw a hopeful one spread across her companion's face. "No. Marriage is out of the question." He said no more, and neither did she. They both knew he wasn't going to give up. _

_But he knew he still had a chance. He knew she would never admit it, but he was key in finding the Clue. He had played a role that she didn't want to need. The capabilites of his mind had expanded. He was now not only her equal, but a rival-whether or not he realized it. _

* * *

"He traveled with her: to Egypt, to Morrocco, to India, to France, to Italy. And each step of the way, he woud impress Katherine more and more. How invaluable he was in the clue hunt! He was sharp, quick, and handsome...naturally, Katernia did not refuse him for long." Alistair stopped his story, for he heard his captor _snickering. _The young man noticed his bewildered expression and humored him.

"Katherine never suspected anything, did she?" Alistair stiffened, feeling the need to defend the ancesotr he held in such reverance.

"Of course she did! How else would she find out the reason he seemed to have become her intellectual equal?"

"And, do _you _know what that reason is?"

"Of course I do! Drugs!" The smirk fell off his captor's face.

"Drugs?" the young man asked, disbelif evident in his voice. "That's what you call his creation?"

"Why wouldn't I call it that? A substance that can provide a man the IQ it gave Demitrius can only be referred to as that, honestly."

"Then perhaps that's the par Kathrine's intelligence should be on. Wasn't her intellect obtained that same way." Fury stirred in Alistair chest, he scoffed in comtempt.

"Please, Katherine's intellect was already there, it just...inhanced it a bit. And at least hers was permanent and genetic, his had to be created and taken over and over again."

"True. Which is why you are here."

* * *

**Lucian**

Vikram Kobra watched Madame Karisa as she scanned the file. Her ease in the chair-legs crossed, back straight-didn't fool him; though it did make him wonder whether it was his gaze or the information that caused her...discomfort. After a moment or so, she placed the file back into its envelope.

"What makes you assume that we had no knowledge of this information? Demitrius was one of us." A sort of satisfaction welled up inside Vikram, not only because of the implied challenge she gave, but because of what she didn't admit.

"If you did, you wouldn't have captured Sirena back in 2000." Madame Karisa remained composed, her face even, and her tone icy.

"She was a _Viper_. How would a Cahill come to know, let alone care to remember such a fact?" Vikram didn't hesitate.

"I have my ways."

"Cahills, Vipers—your all the same to us. Your 'ways' are all the same to us."

"Then why the involvement?" She had the blade of her knife at his throat so fast that he didn't even register her movement. Beneath his stoic exterior, the Kobra's heart pounded in his chest, begging for the air his lungs held captive.

"You arrogant, pompous bastard," she hissed, the ice melting from the heat of her fury. "We are not insane Cahills, nor are we heartless Vipers! We are not tied by our blood, but rather the blood that your _family _sheds. All the lives you took, all the hearts you shattered—they have not been forgotten. Victims of you Tyrants will always be avenged, make no mistake of that." The daggers she glared were as sharp as the blade she lowered. "We are done here."

* * *

**Jack**

Never would Jack forget the Cahill who tore his family apart. A Janus-gorgeous, creative, and his father's mistress. The moment she entered his life, he knew she was trouble. His parents never really used to fight, but as soon as she made her entrance the arguing started. The arguing turned to yelling. Then the yelling turned to silence.

He hated the silence.

So, of course his dad left. There was no custody battle—Ms. Janus didn't want him, so Dad didn't either. Nonetheless, when he was eleven, he was sent to them when his mother died of cancer. At first, he was basically ignored. They never ate with him; he just had whatever microwavable meal that was in the house at the table by himself while they went out. Heck, they didn't even bother asking the generic "how was school today?" Of course, that was until she saw him messing with the toaster one day.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, as if he had lost his mind. He didn't even bother to look up—he was sick of seeing her dark black ringlets.

"Taking apart, and putting back together the toaster." She took in a breath, as if she was going to scold or taunt him, but she immediately closed her mouth, pondering.

"How fast we you able to do it?" Jack hesitated, unused to the attention.

"Now that I have practice, roughly 45 minutes if I don't take it totally apart."

"Who taught you?" Instead of hesitation, this time Jack stopped working all together. He straightened, and scrutinized her faux-innocent expression.

"Why do you care?" Her eyebrow lifted and her face took on that familiar haughty derision.

"Just answer the question, Jackass."

"No one." The corner of her pink lip gloss smeared mouth quirked up into a sly smile. That was when his training began for the Janus.


End file.
